First person wants everything I have without any indication that they will be able to use the thing when they get it. Just because it is FREE and it is computer related (as nearly as I can tell).

The good news is that if nobody on Freecycle lets me know that they have the correct computer to use it - there is a Goodwill computer store where I can donate it that probably will be able to use it (or bundle it with the correct hardware).

They were polite - but without the correct hardware and having the activation code - the recovery disk is a Frisbee or something shiny to tie in a tree to scare birds away.

I really don't want to see it in a landfill because it gets to their house and their computer can't use it.

Ah yes. The old "if its free I must have it, even though I already have 10 similar items which I already don't use"

I know I've said this before, but I used to work for a big pharma company, and had a friend who worked in the marketing dept. Periodically, they would clean out their "stash" of freebies they gave to doctors, pens, pads, and other doodads with various drug advertising on it. She once told me it was like a feeding frenzy whenever anything new was added, and that she was convinced if you gave away poo in a bag, as long as it was free, people would take it.

On our freecycle, we had a problem with people setting up auto responder programs- ie as soon as you'd post anything with OFFERED in the title, their computer would send a reply saying "I'd love the item, could really use it, please. I can pick up!" or whatever. Some people are hoarders, some will want it to re-sell.

Ah yes. The old "if its free I must have it, even though I already have 10 similar items which I already don't use"

I know I've said this before, but I used to work for a big pharma company, and had a friend who worked in the marketing dept. Periodically, they would clean out their "stash" of freebies they gave to doctors, pens, pads, and other doodads with various drug advertising on it. She once told me it was like a feeding frenzy whenever anything new was added, and that she was convinced if you gave away poo in a bag, as long as it was free, people would take it.

On our freecycle, we had a problem with people setting up auto responder programs- ie as soon as you'd post anything with OFFERED in the title, their computer would send a reply saying "I'd love the item, could really use it, please. I can pick up!" or whatever. Some people are hoarders, some will want it to re-sell.

I think I've seen that after advertising on Craigslist's free section.

My understanding of Freecycle is you're passing along still-useable items that you don't need/want to people who might need/want them.

I don't know why they're supposed to qualify for them? I don't get that requirement.

I think it's enough that someone wants to take your unwanted stuff off your hands. If it's that precious to you, maybe you shouldn't attempt to give it away?

Otherwise, I'm just confused.

This is kind of what I was thinking, too. Though, it sounds like the OP has a viable second option, the Goodwill store, where s/he is fairly certain the item will actually be used. Maybe it would be best to just take it straight there?

I'd personally be happy to give stuff to amazon or ebay sellers. I figure, I don't want it. If someone else wants to "harvest" my stuff (sort of like taking fish out of the public waters--they went to the work, they deserve the profit!) and sell it, it will still end up in the hands of someone who really *wants* it.

My understanding of Freecycle is you're passing along still-useable items that you don't need/want to people who might need/want them.

I don't know why they're supposed to qualify for them? I don't get that requirement.

I think it's enough that someone wants to take your unwanted stuff off your hands. If it's that precious to you, maybe you shouldn't attempt to give it away?

Otherwise, I'm just confused.

Welcome to E-Hell! And I agree with you. I don't understand what the problem is here. If I'm putting something on Freecycle, I want it out of my house and I don't really care what happens to it. Just pick it up when we agreed and I'm done! And if you take something and it doesn't work because you didn't read the description, not my problem. You got it for free! (all yous are generic, of course).

For me, the problem with people who respond asking for just any old thing whether they actually can use it or not just because it's FREE!!!! is that a lot of time those are the people who don't show up to claim the item. So then it's sitting in my house even longer while I wait for someone else to ask for it!

I guess I'm having a problem wrapping my head around this for 2 reasons.

1) My local Freecycle group specifically prohibits people from saying "you need to prove to me that you deserve this!" and I didn't really realize that wasn't the standard for other groups. 2) If the OP wanted the disk out of her house, why didn't she just donate it? That way she'd know it wasn't going to a reseller and could have saved herself the frustration of people responding without adequately justifying their "need" of it.